Custom Scooters

Written by Charles Peacock

The word "scooter" means different things to different people. Some think of a scooter as a motorized two-wheel sit-down bike--also called a "moped." Others think of a scooter as a something you stand on, that can be either auto or self-propelled. The reality is that all of these things are scooters--and today there are dozens of new kinds of scooters that are somewhere between the two styles.

Types of Custom Scooters

We all remember the scooter craze of a few years back, when it seemed like every kid in America suddenly had a little two-wheel scooter for riding around the neighborhood. Most of these scooters didn't have engines; they were simply propelled by old-fashioned manpower (or in most cases boy-power). A few enterprising individuals figured out how to attach tiny gas engines onto their scooters, but these remained the minority.

With the explosion in popularity of miniaturized motorcycles and other types of tiny transportation machines, scooters have gone through an amazing revolution in the last few years. Manufacturers in China have begun pumping out all sorts of high-tech, futuristic-looking models that are fun to drive and great to look at. It's now possible to buy cheap gas or electric-powered scooters that look nothing like the self-propelled versions of a few years ago.

Modern scooters basically come in two varieties: gas powered and electric powered. Both types can go as fast as 20 to 30 miles per hour, although the electric variety is quite a bit quieter and cheaper to run. Electric scooters can usually travel about 20 miles on a single charge, which takes three to six hours depending on the type of battery you have.